Outside Reading Post 1: Characters

The most prominent main character in the novel, Vanshing Acts by Jodi Picoult, would have to be Delia Hopkins. Delia is a very determined, passionate woman, who is extremely dedicated to anything she decides to do. She is a search and rescue person, so along with her dog Greta, she goes out to find the missing people of her city. Delia is motivated to find people because on the inside she herself is the one that feels lost. Finding people is a way for Delia to feel like she is finding her way through the mess of her life. She thinks that if she can find people, then there shouldn't be any reason that she cannot find herself. She is a dedicated mother to her beloved Sophie, who should would do anything for. Delia's greatest fear is losing Sophie. You can see this already in the novel when Delia says, "I can't imagine anything more terrifying than losing Sophie" (Picoult 7). She loves Sophie with all her heart and it is hard for Delia to ever let Sophie out of ther sight because Delia is surrounded by so much loss every day. Just as Delia has begun to settle into her life, she finds out that it was all a lie. Her father took her away when she was very young, and the life that Delia was supposed to lead, was wiped away. Now Delia is thrown back into a pit of self-doubt and curiousity, and her sense of loss begins to make more sense. She is torn between the love she has for her father, and the terrible thing that he did.

Another main character in the novel is Delia's father Andrew. Andrew appears to be the perfect father on the outside. He has always been there for Delia and has always been a positive force in the community. He is on the town council, and single-handedly created the town's senior center. He took Delia away from her life when she was very young, and the specifics are not yet quite clear. However, it is obvious that he is not sorry about taking Delia because when he says, " In my shoes how do you know that you wouldn't have done the same thing?" (53). He's not showing remorse for what he has done and apparently believes that the reason he took his daughter was legitamite. He fights for what he wants and he fought for the best life that he thought he could give to his daughter. He strived to be the perfect father and put the past behind him, but the past caught up with him, as it catches up with us all. He seems resigned to go to jail, which also suggest that his character knows that what he did was wrong, but that doesn't mean he's sorry. He knew he had been living a lie and was pleased to be rid of it in jail. We can see this when he says,"The moment I gave up my clothes for a baggy orange jumpsuit I also peeled off the skin of the person I've pretended to be," (52). However he has the repurcussions of what will happen to Delia and the emotions she must deal with if he goes to jail, which I believe will become a major player in whether he pleads guilty or not guilty.

Another main character in the novel is Eric, Delia's fiance. He has an addictive personality. He and Delia have had a long and tumultuous relationship, but they love each other through and through. However, Eric has a self-control problem. He can't stop drinking. He has tried to stop for Delia and their daughter Sophie, but somehow he always finds his way back to the bottle. In front of Delia he puts on a strong front, to her he is her knight in shining armor. But on the inside he is very unsure of himself, and questions most of his movements. He is also a hopeless romantic in a sense. He gave everything up for Delia. He could have been a high powered, high paid lawyer, but instead he chose his love for Delia. Eric changed himself for Delia, which can be seen when he says, "It took me some time, but eventually I realized why Delia said no to my proposal. I had asked her to spend the wrong life with me, but at any moment, a person might start over from scratch. Just like Delia is also very dedicated and motivated when he puts his mind to it.